


Bitten by Snake; Afraid of Ropes

by meiwai



Category: Lux-Pain
Genre: Alternate Universe, Field Agent!Liu Yee, Gen, M/M, Retelling, Rewrite, Spoilers, Sweeper!Saijo, game rewrite, glasses!Liu Yee, headcanon: Liu Yee's Lux-Pain markings, headcanon: Liu Yee's past, references to web novel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-11-11
Updated: 2012-11-14
Packaged: 2017-11-18 10:15:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,239
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/559884
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/meiwai/pseuds/meiwai
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A retelling of Lux-Pain if Liu Yee and Atsuki's positions and powers had been reversed, but not their personalities. How Liu would function as a student of Kisaragi School and what ramifications his more headstrong personality would have on the game's ending.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Episode 00: Pandora

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pairing(s) are likely to be established late in the story and will be justified as well as possible. 
> 
> I will try to keep this from falling into a hiatus abyss because I know that my own history says a long work like this could take years, but I want to write a chapter for every day that passes in-game. 
> 
> This is a serious work in progress.

_A full moon shines in the hot early-Autumn sky. A single shadow rises from the empty residential area._

_The young man has sleek black hair and a slender pale face, and his black, shining eyes are especially unforgettable._

_Anyone who looks into his eyes are met with the feeling they are being hit with a strong blast of cold wind._

_His name is_ **_Liu Yee_ ** _. He seeks out the darkness from the invisible world, and uses the power of_ **_Sigma_ ** _._

* * *

“Is the **Target** in this area?”

“One moment, Natsuki’s doing a pinpoint search now.”

“Forget it.”

“Liu-!”

Liu’s expression remained solemn as he closed and pocketed his FORT-issue cell phone. He was in no mood to listen to Natsuki’s high-pitched squealing when he was comfortably certain that the shinen in the area were significant enough to warrant investigation no matter what the whiny lolita would say. 

He could feel a slight throbbing in his left temple and touched it lightly, squinting. There seemed to be two shinen in the apartment buildings in front of him, but he couldn’t be sure which, if either, was the target. 

 _Nothing about this target is known, besides a love of art. The_ **_Original_ ** _must be here because this is where the results of the investigation of the_ **_Shanghai Incident_ ** _led us._

_That man infected ten thousand people in the space of three months, resulting in thousands of crimes and suicides. We found him, and checked, but he wasn’t the Original. He too was infected by someone else, someone from Kisaragi._

Liu focused back on the apartments in front of him. It was time. 

Focusing his energy, Liu brought his hand up to his left earlobe, where Lancelot resided.  The silver earring glowed faintly, and the scales and mane of a dragon trailed from the base of his neck down to his tailbone before fading. His left eye radiated gold and dulled back to black. He shut his eyes as the world turned gray and pieced itself together.

Erase mode. There were two shinen in the building to his left. Both were dark and screamed of despair and death. 

Liu called Nola. 

Her voice was tense. “It’s rude of you to just ignore our assistance. We’re on your side, remember?”

“I found the two shinen. I’m going in.”

“Wait, Liu Yee! Atsuki will be there soon!”

“I don’t need Atsuki.” He hung up and disabled the phone’s ringtone. _If someone’s still in there, it would be nice to not attract unwanted attention. I doubt anyone in there is in any condition to hassle me, though._  

He went into apartment #207. Trash was strewn everywhere, and he noticed large residual shinen on the cardboard box near the back of the room. He scanned using Sigma.

“A sadist who enjoyed torturing animals. Superb,” Liu muttered after a moment. “More importantly, not the target.”

He ran up the stairs to floor 5. There was garbage in the hall. 

He entered the first room on the left and immediately backed into the wall to the side of the door. First, he looked around the room. A glowing computer in the corner and little else of notice; alright. He braced his hand near the doorframe from the inside, ready to strike.

_Someone is here._

It was a large shinen, a strong presence that reeked of familiarity- _Saijo._

“Unfortunately, he wasn’t the target,” Liu articulated clearly as he stepped into Atsuki’s field of view. 

The younger telepath gave a start at his sudden appearance, but tried to hide his surprise with a jerk of his head. Liu’s smirk widened. “The silent infectees in this area must have gathered here to die, and the resident of this room was not the Original.”

Atsuki nodded. 

* * *

  ** _Atsuki Saijo,_** _like_ _Liu Yee, works for the_ ** _FORT_** _. He’s a “Sweeper” who specializes in destroying the minds of Silent infectees._

* * *

“I know he wasn’t the target. I was here first, Liu. Nola called. I didn’t have a choice... I had to eat their minds. The bodies have been taken care of. And by the way, you were supposed to wait for me. They were having a falling out when I got here; that limited my options because you should have been around to-”

“You could have just as easily intercepted me on my way to the fifth floor, or while I was reading the shinen on the second floor." 

“So _you’re_ the Sweeper now, huh?” Atsuki asked quietly. Liu kept his smirk casually in place and resisted the urge to roll his eyes. 

“My job is to find infectees and targets. Wouldn’t you say I’m doing my job?" 

Atsuki scoffed “Yeah, and my job too. You’d better watch yourself, or someday Nola’s going to snap. You’re not supposed to actually eat minds, so what would you do if the resident and his friends were still alive?"

Liu’s expression turned razor-sharp. “Last time I checked, your job says nothing about telling me what to do _or_ criticizing my actions. My experience trumps yours by nearly half your lifetime and my _ability_ trumps yours by more, so showing me proper respect is not optional.” 

“We’re partners; I am not your subordinate,” Atsuki ground out quietly, his anger just barely showing in his clenched fists.

“Earn it. And don’t question me again.”

Nola called him just as he was leaving the building from a disabled emergency exit on the first floor. He ignored it. 

He’d have _plenty_ of reports to write. 

* * *

As he exited the Yuhigaoka complex a large dog accosted him. The dog’s owner soon followed, and Liu held back a sigh of annoyance. It was a young girl, and Liu wasn’t the biggest fan of interacting with children. She looked like she planned to speak to him, and he was in no mood to listen. What he _wanted_ to do was take a walk, do a sweep of the districts nearby, patrol the area within a 4-block radius or so of his flat, and catch about five hours of sleep before doing it again in the morning. 

“Oh! Mister!”

The girl jogged a few paces towards him and placed her hand on the giant dog. 

Liu frowned. He wasn’t the biggest fan of animals either. 

“The guy on the second floor killed a bunch of animals! I’m going to turn him in!”

She pointed to the building Liu had just left and was about to continue, but he put up a hand to stop her and began to walk away.

“I know, and he’s dead. Let it rest; your vigilante justice isn’t needed here, little girl.”

“Melody says he’s dead too... What do you think? How did it happen?”

Liu turned to her. _What a strange kid._ “Can’t you take my words at face value? He’s dead; probably from rabies or something of the sort from being in such close proximity to filthy animals.” 

Liu eyed the dog, whose name was apparently Melody. Melody growled at him. 

“You have special powers too, don’t you, mister?”

Liu froze. This wasn’t the first time he had been identified as a telepath, but for a fellow telepath this young to have approached him so soon... the event was not coincidence. 

He relaxed, and smiled cooly. “Hmm, do I now?”

Melody barked at him once, and ran off. Liu raised an eyebrow at the dog’s retreating figure. 

“Ah! Melody!” The girl began to follow her pet, but stopped and turned to him one more time. “I’m Nami Kamishiro! I won’t tell anyone about your powers! If someone finds out, you might get bullied, like me.”

She ran off into a distant apartment building. Liu waited, counting to fifteen in his head, and followed. 

As he trailed behind her in the stairwell, sticking to the shadows, Liu analyzed her threat level almost subconsciously. Clearly she was a untrained, low-level telepath; she didn’t appear hostile so there was no reason for him to attempt wiping her mind, and though he’d missed the chance to at least read her thoughts Liu figured the results would not prove worth the effort. 

He made a mental note of her specific apartment number when her door clicked shut, and made his way out of apartment complex entirely without a sound.

* * *

He figured he might as well check the area nearby, while he was here. He had been in Kisaragi for a few months, much longer than Atsuki, but he was still somewhat unfamiliar with Area6, as he had less reason to explore the districts outside his own before his **partner reassignment**. 

He stopped first at Triple Step. Two drunken women were stumbling through the street, looking for someone to torment. He took note of their appearances and left before he could be seen.

Liu proceeded to Rainbow Hill, where a tall, blonde man in a white coat stood looking out at the sea. The man was quoting poetry. Liu was not interested. However, the shinen surrounding the stranger was powerful and reeked of despair. Anxious, Liu approached him and stood wordlessly until the recitation was over. 

He shifted as to gain the other man’s attention, the rustle of clothing and the clearing of his throat enough to gracefully break the silence. “Good evening.”

The man turned to him. “Ah, good evening.” 

The presence about the man was stronger than ever. Their eyes met and Liu stretched the fingers of his left hand, activating his Sigma and reveling in the tingling feeling of Lancelot leaving its mark on his skin. 

There were two worms in the man’s psyche; one referred to Liu and the other to some mysterious young girl. The former was laced with despair- the man clearly felt he had little reason to live, but Liu quickly determined that no actual Silent infection was present. The latter was filled with a desperate sort of beauty, and Liu considered the possibility that the girl in question was Nami Kamishiro until it became obvious that the two probably had little in common. 

He finished up, blinked harshly to dispel any lingering gold from his left eye, and put a hand into his pocket, still considering the man in front of him. 

The man seemed surprised that Liu was still staring, and walked quietly away. Liu considered tailing him, but the benefit margin again seemed unworthy. 

Liu left in the opposite direction, feeling somewhat weary. 

He headed to the church in Area7 on a whim, and observed that a large, futuristic-looking machine stood in front of the building conspicuously. A rotund, green-haired man stood in front of the machine, wiping sweat from his face with a cloth. 

Curiosity piqued, Liu approached him. 

“Oh, hello! You’re out late. Er, I’m not some kind of weirdo, you know,” he stammered. 

Liu cocked his head. 

“I’m Reiji Takano. I teach history at Kisaragi School.” 

“Hmm.”

Reiji Takano looked somewhat embarrassed, but met Liu’s eyes with a glimmer of confidence anyways. “May I ask you something? I know this is abrupt, but... Do you believe in powers that you can’t see? Like demons and spirits and things like that.”

 _Another telepath, perhaps, weaker than the Kamishiro girl?_ Liu considered. _Unlikely_. He could feel nothing suggesting telepathic power in this Takano person. 

Still. 

“Complete nonsense.”

Takano flinched, then wilted. “Oh.”

Liu smiled icily, and continued, casually, “I am interested in this device you have set up here, though.”

“Oh, you’re more of a technology- and logic-driven type of person, then? I suppose you look that way. Well, maybe I’m just a little bit over-interested... Anyway, that machine’s my third. It took about $50,000 to make.”

Liu raised an eyebrow. 

“Er, it’s a machine the measures life energy called ‘odo’! It’s a radar that can detect the unseen. On full moon night like this, the readings should be more accurate, but maybe it lacks power... I figured I’d call it a night. But this wasn’t a total loss! At least I could share this with you!” Takano spoke hurriedly. “Well, see ya around, boy!” 

 _Boy_ , Liu thought with annoyance. “See you.”

He said this because he could already see what his future would most likely bring, and he wasn’t yet sure if he liked it or not. 

In any case, things were about to get interesting very soon. 

He smiled grimly at no one in particular and headed home to be briefed on the obvious. 

* * *

His new flat, which he mostly thought of as his new roof to sleep under post-partner reassignment, was located near Area7’s bookstore Tohodo, owned by some student he had never met named Ryo Unami. The flat, Kisaragi Apartment #603, was a room prepared for basic use. It was a new apartment furnished to Liu’s request: minimally. The second Liu disengaged the security, shrugged off his vest, and sat down on the edge of his bed a call came in. His cellphone’s display lit up and he sighed irritably before picking it up, flipping it open and assuming a thin smile. 

“Good work today,” Nola said grudgingly. “It’s unfortunate that it wasn’t the target, but at least one suspect has been eliminated, so that’s good.

“Another thing: before you burst guns blazing into that apartment, Atsuki had been checking on that computer in the corner. They were emailing someone. It’s interesting... the recipient was someone at Kisaragi School." 

Liu chided himself on not checking the room thoroughly before making his dramatic exit. He had been too angry at Saijo at the time and the same breed of anger was rising in his chest as he listened to Nola’s report. 

“I’ll be enrolling in this school tomorrow, then.”

“You _are_ our best field agent, Liu,” Nola responded kindly.

“Hmph.”

“What’s a high school got to do with group suicides...?” Nola wondered aloud. “Well, you may be able to find something out. In Shanghai, a similar case was reported, after all-”

“I am aware of that.”

“-the group suicides had the same motive as our current target. Anyway, you’ll be briefed before school tomorrow morning,” Nola concluded briskly. 

Liu shut the phone with a sharp click. 

“Aren’t I a little old to pass off as a high school student?” He asked the empty room, amused.

_I’ll find out tomorrow._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter summary  
> Liu: I don't listen to people  
> Liu: didn't choose the thug life thug life chose me  
> Atsuki: You're kind of an asshole  
> Liu: yeah  
> Melody: You're kind of an asshole  
> Liu: yeah  
> Liu: I go places  
> Liu: I predict that i will be a high school student tomorrow  
> Nola: You will be a high school student tomorrow  
> Liu: nailed it


	2. Episode 01: Mystery

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HEADCANONS AHOY  
> This chapter is too long. I'm approaching this project the wrong way; there's too much stuff in each day for me to document it all, I'll go crazy if I try u_u
> 
> So, I'll have to make these chapters abridged versions of each day in the future. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy this new chapter!

_Liu Yee was dreaming._  

_Among the infinite images flowing through my head I noticed my voice was straining to leave my throat._

_I was crying from deep inside of my soul at the regret, sorrow, and urges of rage that I felt._

_Me as a rookie, newly recruited to FORT, shaking hands with my partner and trying to put to memory the sinews of his muscle, the pressure he exerted on my palm and the detail in his smile. He was kind and serene. He died a merciless death at the hands of Silent and its infectees._

_There still hasn’t been a funeral. I can see his eyes. Just days before he died he said, “Spiderwebs, you know? That’s the impression this city gives me.”_

_I’d never seen him so distraught._

_Seeing that image of him, the dismay he couldn’t hide behind his usual calm, I realize how much I’d liked him. There was no reason for him to die._

_I see his face, from another time. I was an only child, but he was like a brother to me. Bright, wise... he had a comforting smile._

_On a pitch black street, my partner is dead, laying with his limbs twisted. The sidewalk is a sea of blood and nothing at all is the same as it was._

_The infected monsters overtook him while we were separated and devoured my partner. I let out a war cry, wanting to burn everything around me to the ground. I clenched my fists so hard that my short, dull nails broke the skin._

_These heinous monsters, a merciless God, everything... I wanted to make them pay for my own weakness._

_Liu Yee’s eyes jolt open, awake._

* * *

A lump, tasting like metal, tightened up in Liu’s chest. He mouth tasted bitter.  

The cold sweat on his body felt like his partner’s blood. 

_I used to dream. Since joining FORT I haven’t dreamt once._

_That wasn’t a dream. It was a memory._

Liu gripped his left ear between his thumb and index finger painfully. 

He took a deep breath and let go. 

_I was powerless. My partner was killed and I froze up with wrath._

On the coffee table by the foot of the bed, the cellphone rang obnoxiously. Liu pushed himself off the bed robotically and answered the call.

“Good morning. Sleep well?”

“Nola, I’ll sleep well when I’m dead.”

“I don’t think you’ll sleep well even then, but okay, let’s start the briefing.”

Liu checked the phone’s screen. 6 AM. He turned the call to speakerphone and brought it with him into the bathroom, then turned on the water in the shower and removed his boxers. 

“The target’s age and sex are unknown. All we know is that he or she has a strong love of art.”

Liu tested the water with his palm. “This is information _I_ gathered for you. Don’t waste my time.”

“I hear you taking a shower. I’m not keeping you from your hygienic morning imperatives, so don’t interrupt me.”

Liu entered the shower stall and wet his hair, choosing not to answer.

“We know the target is in Kisaragi because-”

The images of his partner’s broken body on the sidewalk and the feel of cold sweat sliding down his body flashed through Liu’s head. He picked up the bottle of shampoo on the shower rack and flicked it open angrily. 

“-the Shanghai Incident, that man infected ten thousand people-”

“-in three months,” Liu finished in a deadpan tone, massaging shampoo into his scalp. 

“We found him and checked, but his wasn’t the original...”

Liu picked up the bar of soap next and tried to wash off the feeling of blood and sweat and fury and loss.

“The man in Shanghai was infected in Kisaragi-”

“My partner died for this information, do you think I don’t know this?” Liu muttered, running the soap down his chest and nearly losing his grip on the slippery bar. He cursed and caught it as it was falling. 

“Your job is to find and confirm any Silent infectees.”

“Right, I’m sorry, because I completely forgot that that’s exactly what you hired me for and what I’ve always done. For a second I was convinced that my only purpose at FORT was to make balloon animals for Saijo to play with.” He snarked under his breath.  He started rinsing off the suds in his hair and on his arms. 

“Last night’s incident seems to have been Silent-related. I wonder who those people were trying to email.”

“Can’t hear you. Water’s too loud.”

“They sent a mail to your new school... It’s a good opportunity for you to get info and report back to me.”

He turned off the shower and reached out of the stall to retrieve a towel. “Can’t hear you. Silence is too golden.”

“If we find anything new, we’ll contact you.” 

“You’d probably contact me the second you found a split end in your hair. Or in Commander Ray’s hair. Or something,” Liu returned beneath a towel, drying his face. ”Are you done, then?” He questioned more loudly.

“You’re a morning person, I can tell.”

“What about that girl from yesterday?”

“Nami Kamishiro? We’re checking her out-”

“That’s a misdemeanor if not a serious crime in most civilized countries, I think-”

“Check yourself and your smart mouth, Liu. It’s creepy that she knew you had powers.”

Liu scoffed. “Creepy. Just- creepy. They hired me to locate Silent threats and feed you information on a silver platter and a regular basis. Is _this_ what they hired _you_ for? Giving my information _back to me_ and analyzing possible security threats with ‘creepy’?”

Nola hung up on him. 

“Sorry not sorry,” Liu breathed, and went to his dresser stark naked to find a fresh pair of boxers.

* * *

The doorbell rang a moment later.

Liu focused his Sigma power on the direction of the entryway and was met with resistance.

“Delivery. Stop trying to scan me.”

Liu opened the door in his boxers. 

“You’re in your boxers,” Atsuki said, squinting at him. 

“Because you’re here.” 

Atsuki’s carefully composed countenance stuttered. His ears turned red. 

“...to deliver my new school uniform, which had better fit properly. I don’t want to be running around in something made for someone, say, your size.” 

Atsuki was indeed carrying a flat paper parcel tucked under his arm. The younger man seemed as though he was contemplating stuffing the package down Liu Yee’s throat and running. 

He hid it well, but Liu Yee was a telepath and Atsuki wasn’t exactly trying to hide _that_ sentiment behind a mental wall. Liu smiled. “Thanks for the delivery service. What was that about equality as partners?”

The partner in question took a deep breath and handed him the parcel. He took a step back from the doorway as he did so, making sure not to brush hands with Liu.

“You’re an asshole,” Atsuki said serenely.

“Woke up on the wrong side of the bed,” Liu returned tersely. He was feeling something particularly malicious, and continued, “Well, I’m off to go to high school. Thanks for covering me. And clothing me, that too.”

Atsuki froze. “What?” 

“I can’t utilize my usual methods in an undercover position as integrated as this. If, god forbid, I get harassed in a hall or something, I’ll be expecting you to swoop to my rescue, Atsuki.”

The younger telepath was dumbstruck. Again, he hid it well. “You’re kidding. I have other duties; I’m not going to follow you around.”

“You have no other duties until I say you do,” Liu pointed out with a sinister grin. “After all, what will you do without anyone to sweep? And the school is, after all, the most likely place at this moment for the Target to be present.” 

Atsuki said nothing. 

“I’m not actually supposed to eat minds, or something, isn’t that right? And I can’t use my physical ability without gaining serious attention, so I suppose your job as a sweeper and as my partner obligates you to cover me as I venture into this potentially dangerous school ground.”

Atsuki again said nothing. 

“Who knows, I might be ambushed by ravenous schoolgirls when I step through the gates.”

Atsuki choked. 

And then he let out a short laugh. 

He gave the smallest of grins and shook his head. “Ravenous schoolgirls.” 

Liu Yee smiled a little, genuinely, before turning away. Atsuki’s smile was nice, nice the way he remembered, but he didn’t want to see it. Seeing it meant knowing it, which meant being able to lose it. 

He stopped _that_ line of thought dead and cleared his throat. 

“Enlightening as this conversation was, I’m changing now.”

Atsuki’s face was back to it’s default stoicism when he next looked. “Understood. You made good points, underneath your blatant attempts to piss me off.”

“This is your chance,” Liu said offhandedly.

Atsuki paused, then looked at him once more. “I’m your partner. I don’t get _chances_. I just do my job.”

Liu felt the cold sweat again. He closed his eyes and saw Atuski’s body, twisted, on a sidewalk, in the darkness. 

He didn’t open his eyes. 

“Alright,” He said, and closed the door.

* * *

“Good morning, Ms. Matsumura." 

“Hello, good morning.”

Liu walked into the school’s quad, uniform crisp and signature smirk firmly in place. _This is a beautiful school. Traditional, historic, serene. Of course the atrocities of Silent would infect and corrupt a place like this,_ he thought bitterly.

* * *

_A teacher is at the gate._

_She’s checking each student that passes by. She looks serious, and makes sure to look each student in the eye as she greets them._

_Suddenly, her gaze stops on a pair of students._

_“Hey, wait!”_

_She was addressing a boy and girl who were holding hands. In an instant, the romantic atmosphere had completely disappeared._

_“What are you doing, holding hands like that?!”_

_“S-sorry!”_

_The couple splits up and runs into the school._

* * *

The pink-haired teacher approached Liu as he rounded the fountain in front of the school’s main entrance. He’d been expecting it.  

“I’ve never seen you before!”

“I transferred here today,” Liu said, disinterested.

“Oh, I see. Nice to meet you,” She replied. “I’m the language teacher, Aoi Matsumura. I hope you’ll like it here!”

The teacher’s cheeks suddenly became red. Liu felt her shinen devolving (in his opinion) into a very unprofessional set of emotions regarding himself, her new student. The corner of his mouth twitched. _How unprofessional._

“Uh, um... it must be difficult to transfer this time of year! You seem a bit older than the other students in your year, Yee-san. May I ask about your last school?"

Liu was spared from having to answer when a student passing by shouted, “Good morning, Ms. Matsumura!” 

“Ah, good morning!” She responded. “Oh, right,” she said to Liu. “Your new teacher, Mr. Yamato, isn’t here today. If you need anything, let me know right away. I hope you enjoy it here!”

 _There’s no need to repeat yourself,_ Liu thought uninterestedly. 

* * *

He’d been given a floor plan of the school and went immediately to the PC room.  

There was one male student in the PC room. He was sitting at a computer and working on something Liu couldn’t see. 

“Okay, finished.”

The student had just finished transferring data to a portable PC. He got up from his seat and trotted over to the exit, when he saw Liu. 

“Hey! Are you studying here, too? I haven’t seen you around, are you new?”

Liu was in mid nod, his mouth open to introduce himself tentatively when the student continued, “Well, whatever! We’ve just met, there’s no point in discussing that. Okay. I’ll hurry!”

“I was under the impression that introducing oneself to a new student was a custom of modern humans in a typical school setting such as this,” Liu said clearly, looking somewhere over the student’s shoulder disdainfully.

The younger student looked at him nervously, and left anyway. 

“Kids,” Liu muttered as though the word was corrosive.

_So who at this school were those people in the apartment sending mail to, someone infected with Silent like them?_

Liu approached the PC the kid had been using and scanned for residual Shinen. When his left eye returned to a black color, he leaned back, contemplative. 

So the kid was not involved directly, and was not the intended recipient. Liu called Nola. 

“Need something?”

“There was a kid in here who found the email. It’s in code, and he must a hobbyist of some sort. He deleted it and purged the trash, but I can try to get the account or MAC or IP of the computer he used to read it, whatever you need. You can get the source from that, I assume.”

“Alright. Good work, I’ll do what I can.”

“Just do your job, really.” He hung up, bored. For some reason, he couldn’t help but make little prods like that one. Technically she was his handler (but not his superior, he stressed) but he felt as though their extensive work history gave him some sort of leeway. He liked Nola; she was compassionate though, almost to the point of carelessness like Atsuki was, but she was an intelligent woman with good instincts and he respected that. She was competent, too. He liked competence.

 _Atsuki is competent too; you should be careful not to push him so much that he can’t push back,_ Liu berated himself. 

 _Don’t get soft,_ he responded to himself, with finality.

With time still remaining before his first class, Liu made his way to the art room. One female student had been painting since early morning. There was no one else there. She was concentrating hard on her canvas, and the only audible sound in the room was the movement of her brush. 

She held the brush out and checked over her painting. Then, she finally realized Liu had entered the room. “Good morning... You’re here early. Are you here to paint something?”

She paused, and put a hand over her chest. 

“But, hm? Have we met before? We haven’t, right? You’re the transfer student! The teacher said we’d have a new student today. I’m Yayoi Kamishiro. Nice to meet you, classmate!”

The only thing of note about her was her last name. Liu rolled his shoulders and assumed what he supposed was a charming posture, fingers splayed on his chest as he introduced himself.

“My name is Liu Yee. It’s a pleasure.You wouldn’t happen to have a little sister, would you?”

“Hu-huh?” She stammered, slightly pink in the face. “Why, yes, I do... How did you know?”

“She introduced herself as Nami Kamishiro, and there’s quite a resemblance. I mean, she was quite a charming young lady. Clearly it runs in the family.” 

Yayoi Kamishiro seemed embarrassed and flustered, but skeptical. Liu quickly amended, “Ah, that was forward, my apologies. Nami-chan was walking her dog- Melody, yes? And I happened to be talking a walk. Your dog is quite large; it knocked me over, my fault though, I practically tripped over it. Sorry for that,” he smiled sheepishly.

“Ah, no, it’s quite alright! You’re right, Melody is quite the presence... Our apartment’s not all that big, either, so it’s a bit difficult to take care of such a large pet... Nami really loves that dog, though.” Her expression was fond, but distant. Liu decided to press the issue. 

“Nami-chan is quite close to animals, isn’t she?”

Yayoi paled. “She... yes, she is. She’s not so good with making friends in school or in her age group, though. I’m sorry she bothered you last night. We’re very different, even though we’re sisters.”

“Ah. Well, I prefer the quieter type,” Liu joked carefully. Yayoi blushed. “So, why are you here painting so early, Kamishiro-san?”

“Ah, I’m here because Arthur may be coming back soon- Arthur Mays. World-famous modern artist.”

“Modern art,” Liu reiterated flatly.

“He works as a substitute teacher here. What an opportunity to learn for him! But recently he’s been sick, and hasn’t come...” Her shinen turned a deep blue, saddened.

Liu noted the dynamic shinen, but was more focused on a particular painting in the corner of the room. He had felt a fleeting, dark shinen from it.  

He read both Yayoi’s worm and the shinen on the painting. Both were sufficiently depressing, really. He was mildly disappointed to find that Yayoi had been affected little by his advances. He’d have to improve his technique; it was a vital skill of a field agent after all. 

The residual shinen on the painting had the same signature as the shinen Liu had read on the blond man on Rainbow Hill last night. _So that was Arthur._ The combined shinen translated to Yayoi’s fear and concern for Arthur, which explained her lack of interest. She was clearly interested in this “world-famous modern artist” _Modern art is a sham_ , Liu thought critically, and whether it was hero-worship or genuine attraction, Liu could not yet tell. 

“Oh dear! Look at the time... I should start cleaning up. I’ll be in the classroom, see you later!”

She turned away from Liu and began to stow her painting supplies in various cabinets and drawers. He took this as his cue to leave. 

 _Arthur Mays is the individual closest to matching the target’s description at this time,_ Liu articulated clearly in his head, and went to find his classroom. 

* * *

A few of the students sitting near him whispered and gossiped incessantly when Liu lowered himself into the seat Ms. Matsumura had instructed him to take. Someone mentioned that he looked a little older. He scoffed inwardly. _A little? You flatter me._ A well-built male student to his left glanced over him briefly and grudgingly jerked his head at Liu as a sort of welcome. Liu flashed a cocky grin at two girls when he caught them staring. They giggled and turned away, hands cupped over their mouths. 

Ms. Matsumura acknowledged that several class members were either absent or late, and Liu questioned the integrity of the school and its members. Even his teacher, Mr. Yamato or what have you, was absent, in fact. Liu sighed when the students quieted down.

Class was uneventful. 

Liu was gifted with an above-average intelligence, but then so were most of the members of FORT, at least those that he most commonly interacted with. 

As far as Liu was aware, the team he operated with had the lowest collective age. Natsuki may have acted like a brat, but she had been given a college-level education and could perform proficiently in an academic setting according to FORT’s periodic tests. Nola was eighteen but gave off the aura of a woman much more mature, and her mind was sharper by far than her mild-mannered appearance would suggest. She was one of the world’s best hackers, after all, but she had also allotted brainpower to the pursuit of other studies, abstract things like theology and linguistics and pathology and peace and conflict studies that a normal college student would never have the capacity for. 

Atsuki... Liu had never asked, but he’d always assumed Atsuki had received a high school education before the tragedy that led him to join FORT. Thinking about it now, though, it didn’t particularly make a difference; If Atsuki had been in high school, he was probably underchallenged, Liu reasoned. Atsuki and Nola were closest in age, and though Atsuki’s expertise in a range of topics was less impressive than Nola’s, his ability to comprehend, analyze, and apply concepts was faster and more profound than the rest of the team’s, undoubtedly. Really, he had the highest potential of the group, though Liu didn’t think that meant anything. The idea of “potential” seemed like a waste of time in Liu’s mind. “Performance” was a much more pleasing notion.

FORT’s education system was tailored to younger agents due to the nature of Lux-Pain; the items chose the wearer and youth seemed more likely to resonate with the items and the power of Sigma they bestowed, so FORT had to at some time develop a program that would allow their young recruits to complete their education and pursue further studies if so desired. The infrastructure encouraged independent study, also for obvious reasons. Liu himself had received enough of an interrupted college education to consider himself generally knowledgeable, but chose to rigorously educate himself in between missions and training. His body would decay eventually, if he lived long enough to see it happen. He wanted his mind to outlive his flesh by far.

Liu remembered offhandedly that Atsuki liked philosophy and classical literature. He would probably have paid more attention to the lesson if he were in Liu Yee’s shoes. 

Ms. Matsumura blathered on about love poetry. Liu was unsurprised and unimpressed. He had a notebook out and was idly writing the thirteenth chapter of Sun Tzu’s _Art of War_ in simplified Chinese from memory as best he could. 

“It’s only your first day, and I’ve already embarrassed myself... Yee-san, it may be a bit early, but what do you think of this school?” Liu suddenly heard Ms. Matsumura ask.

He stopped writing and placed his pen on his desk with a sharp _clack_. _I’m surrounded by juveniles who scurry about like hyperactive, unfocused rats._ He smiled gently. “This school is beautiful, and this class feels very welcoming. It is early to ask and to answer, but I am certain my experience here will be very enjoyable.” He closed his eyes, going for a humble look, and smiled at his notebook with his eyes closed as though in deep gratitude. 

His answer was perfectly calculated. Ms. Matsumura smiled and blushed. “Really? That’s great. I really hope that you enjoy your time here.”

 _That’s the third time you’ve said that,_ Liu thought without interest. 

“The kids are very helpful and kind here. Well then, that concludes the morning’s lesson!”

The students immediately began to scuttle out of the classroom to lunch. A girl with bright blue hair who Liu remembered had come in late stopped him barely after he had gotten up from his desk. “You’re the new kid? Nice to meet you! I’m Mika Nozaki!”

 _I am passing for a student young enough to be called a “kid.”_ He bowed slightly. “My name is Liu Yee. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Nozaki-san.”

She was smiling. “ Ms. Matsumura’s class is pretty deep, isn’t it? Her lessons are so good because she’s so diligent. She can get sidetracked, though...”

“I’ll say. 

“If it’s something about love, she’ll go on and on.”

“I had that impression, yes.”

“Sadly, we’re gonna be doing love poems for a while... Next class, she’ll probably start from the same place! It’s rare for us to cover these sorts of writing, though. I’ll get easier again soon enough. I’m going to lunch, see you later!” Mika left without another word, looking to be in a hurry. Liu nodded goodbye. 

“How was your first class? Are you tired?” Ms. Matsumura asked as Liu moved towards the classroom door. He turned to her. 

“It must be hard adjusting to a new school. Please take your time getting used to it. Oh! Right! I forgot! Please wait a minute.” She turned to a blond, dark-skinned student. “Rui, do you have a moment?”

“Sure,” the girl responded. “What’s up? Huh? Wait, you’re the new kid, Yee, right?” 

 _Kid._ “Yes. Are you are...?”

“I’m Rui Yamase.” She turned to the teacher again. “And you want me to...?”

“I’d like you to show him around during lunch,” Ms. Matsumura said brightly.

“Hmph. Fine, I guess. Well, whaddya wanna see?”

“No, Yamase. Not ‘what.’ Show him everything.”

“Ok, you got it... since you teach us and take care of us and stuff.”

“I’m wounded,” Liu deadpanned. 

Rui laughed “Ok, let’s go!” She grabbed his arm and pulled him along as she walked away. 

* * *

In the cafeteria, Liu met Unami Ryo. FORT’s data debrief said the blue-haired teenager owned the bookstore next to Liu’s flat, so Liu mentally marked him down as easy surveillance.  

In the hallway, they ran into Mika Nozaki, who accused them of dating. Liu contemplated the legality of such a theoretical situation while Rui berated the reporter-in-training. Apparently Mika had some sort of "scoop" she wished to share with Rui but not Liu, and as such Liu read her shinen as she left. She had already found out about the suspect in the apartment complex from just last night, he noted, which in an indirect way proved some worth to him. Additionally, she was using Nami Kamishiro as a sort of informant. The two must have been close. Lastly, her shinen revealed that she seemed to sense a connection between the incident and a video arcade in the city. He made a note to become friends with her for the purpose of more localized information-gathering. 

When they went into the nurse’s office Liu was hit by the realization that he was probably more or less of the same age as some of the staff at Kisaragi School. The thought was strangely disheartening. A sickly-looking student named Takuya was speaking with the young nurse, Honoka Hino. Liu left with Honoka’s card in hand. 

Liu ran into Reiji Takano in the staff room, where the history teacher and Ms. Matsumura were engaged in a one-sided argument. Liu and Rui left quickly. When they went to the quad, The green-haired man was already there, by the fountain, stressing over his relationship with Ms. Matsumura. 

Finally, the pair returned to the classroom with time to spare. Most students were eating lunch or splaying sports. There weren’t many people in the classrooms. However, a boy was slumped over his desk, sleeping. 

“Hey, tough guy over there!” Rui called. “Wake up! Now!”

The boy woke up, identified Rui as the source of the noise, and went back to sleep.

“Oh no you didn’t...” Rui muttered darkly.

She ran to the student’s desk and tickled his sides ruthlessly. Liu looked on in amusement.

“GAH! WHAT THE...?! H-hey, hey, cut it out!”

After waking him, Rui stuck out her tongue and moved away. “Gotcha! Rise and shine, Akira!”

The student, Akira, seemed incredibly irritated. “What’s the big idea? I was having a nice dream.”

“Hehe, I thought I’d introduce you to Yee!” 

“Huh?” Akira glanced at Liu. “I already know him! Aoi introduced him in class earlier. Remember?”

Rui looked surprised. “Of course. I just thought I’d introduce him properly.”

Now Akira looked surprised. “Ugh. What are you on about? Something wrong with you?”

“You’re so shy, you practically forced me to introduce him this way! But if you don’t really feel like making new friends, whatever. Just hurry up and introduce yourself.”

“Ugh. I get no respect, I tell ya,” Akira muttered as an aside. “Hey. I’m Akira Mido. You’re Liu Yee, right? How does that... translate? It’s a Chinese name, right? Do you go by Yee, or Liu, or what?”

“You’re right. Most Chinese people have a given name with two characters, but mine is just ‘Liu’. ‘Yee’ is my last name. You can address me by either, or both if you’d like.” Liu paused, and then asked mischievously, “Do you want the kanji for it, or would that be too confusing? Maybe katakana would be better?”

“Haha, very funny,” Akira responded, looking unamused. “Kanji is for bookworms like Ryo. My... hobby? talent? is bushido.”

Liu raised his eyebrows, genuinely interested. “I practice kung fu, myself. Bushido is quite the honorable discipline, though.”

“Yeah? That’s pretty cool. Let’s train together sometime if you’re free. I’d like to see what you’ve got. But yeah, bushido is my passion. I don’t like studying or my lousy old friends.”

Rui, instead of getting angry the way Liu expected, smiled. “He’s always been aloof, but he’s painfully honest. He’s a bit crude and crass, but he’s really a good guy.”

Akira paused a moment. “Am I going nuts, or did you just compliment me?”

“Don’t sweat it.” Rui laughed. “Let’s all have lunch sometime!”

“Ok. Nice to meet you, Yee.” Akira put his head back down on his arms, and Liu and Rui walked back out of the classroom.

* * *

“That’s about it for the school tour. So, what do you think?” 

Liu turned to Rui and smiled slightly. “I like it.”

“Yeah, see? I really like this school too! I was, like, ‘what IS this’ when I first saw it. Like, it seems like knights and witches would be here. People in town even call it ‘The Tower.’ Know what? This school has a 100-year history. That’s like a really cool, classy grandpa!” 

Her words, and her shinen demonstrated a strong love for the school. Her active imagination, however, made Liu less than eager to read her thoughts. 

The bell rang, Rui ran off, Liu read the residual shinen, and everything was as he expected aside from the new knowledge that Rui’s father had passed away. He pocketed her QR card and went back to class. 

* * *

After school, Liu went back into the cafeteria, not actually craving food but wondering whether Ryo Unami was still reading his book inside. The blue-haired bookshop owner hadn’t attended class before or after the lunch break, and Liu was curious. 

Ryo was in the cafeteria. Liu approached his table casually. 

“Hey, you’re Liu Yee-san, right? You’re in the cafe after school... Are you meeting someone?”

“Not particularly,” Liu replied. “I just wanted a closer look around.”

“Ah, I see... Well, I’m waiting for Aoi, if you were wondering why I’m still here. She’s making a list of old books she wants. I’ve been here ten minutes already, so it might take a while...”

A thought crossed Liu’s mind. So far, none of the students or staff members he had met had stood out as particularly noteworthy, with the exception of Takuya, the sickly boy who had been in the nurse’s office. However...

 _If Ryo Unami got mail from the crime scene, then... I should try to use Sigma to look into his mind._ After all, he hadn’t yet scanned either Ryo or Akira. Or any of the teachers, really. 

He tried to look into Ryo’s mind, but suddenly sensed a strong shinen from the direction he’d come. He excused himself briskly. 

Liu walked back to the classroom, somewhat contemplatively. It would better to approach the information-gathering in a more systematic manner, but he had no way of knowing which students would be where until he had ample time to observe their habits and routines. He shrugged it off. 

Akira Mido was inside of the classroom when he returned. 

“Huh? Yee...? There’s no one here but me. DId you forget something? Or do you have some business with me?”

Liu noticed that the shinen clinging to Akira was teeming with anger. 

“Why are you staring...? You’re acting weird. I asked you a question. Got nothing to say?” Akira’s brows furrowed. 

Liu’s eye glinted gold. 

The worm inside Akira reeked of distrust and challenge. It tried to assert dominance while simultaneously subdued by self-disgust and regret. Something had clearly happened to Akira in the past, something he felt responsible for. 

Liu backed off mentally after reading all he could of Akira’s main thoughts. Akira seemed somewhat disoriented. 

“Jeez. This sucks.” 

Akira left. 

 _Akira Mido, huh?_ Like Rui had said, he seemed to be an honest person. Liu wouldn’t venture “good,” as his predisposition was to assume little human affinity for “good,” but Akira Mido, and his thoughts, did resonate with the concept of “honest.”

_There’s darkness in him, though. Painful memories, et cetera. Someone in his past deceived him. Those memories have left a deep shadow on his heart. This could be Silent-related, so I will monitor him more closely._

He left the empty classroom.

* * *

He spoke with Ms. Matsumura in the teacher’s lounge and, surprisingly- _or not so surprisingly_ , Liu thought when he recalled her blushing and stuttering during their initial meeting- felt her emotions focus on a boy named Shinji Naruse. Reading her thoughts, Liu concluded that the boy from the PC room in the morning was this Naruse kid. He texted the information to Nola through the phone in his pocket. 

Next he visited the nurse’s office. He asked Honoka about various things, in particular the elusive Arthur Mays. Her shinen told him nothing, ultimately. 

When he walked back out of the office he noticed a notebook in the quad. His first impression was that it was filled with many numerical formulas. It would have been nothing special, but his second was that it also contained insults towards many people. The owner’s name, Takuya Inoue, was written on the cover. 

Patting himself on the back for consistently good instincts (honed by experience, though, instincts could never be a substitute for ability or practice), Liu tucked the notebook under his arm. 

He went to the cafe for the third time that day, set the notebook on a table, and began taking pictures of the pages with his phone camera. As he was finishing up, Ryo approached him. 

“Yee-san. Did you come back to chat?”

Liu asked about Arthur Mays, seeing as he had neglected to do so before. 

“He hasn’t been feeling well recently. He hasn’t come to school in two weeks.” Ryo trailed off. “I’m into art history, but I’m no good at painting,” he said more lightheartedly. “so I’m always secretly reading in class.”

 _Youth these days,_ Liu snarked, though he realized belatedly that he would probably do the same. 

“And to be honest, I don’t know him that well.”

“That’s fine. Thank you. Also, what can you tell me about a student here named... Naruse, is it?”

“Huh? Shinji?” Ryo was startled. At the peak of his emotion Liu entered his mind. The shinen was odd. It didn’t seem to particularly relate to Shinji Naruse at all; rather, it was a judgement of Liu. The book-smart student clearly wanted an intellectual equal. Liu was intrigued, but stowed the information away. 

“Shinji Naruse is in our class, though he wasn’t here today... He’s usually in the PC room, but I don’t go much.” 

Liu nodded. “That’s fine. I was just curious, as Ms. Matsumura mentioned his name once or twice in passing.”

“Ah,” Ryo seemed to contemplate him. It felt like a gentle sizing-up of Liu’s ability, more curious than intrusive. “Well, I’ve still been waiting for her, and she’s so late. I’m going to go check on her. See you later.”

He left. Liu returned to the PC room one more time, curious whether Shinji Naruse would be there. 

He wasn’t. Instead, Takuya accosted him as he entered. Not after he entered; the pale kid with the bowl cut was on him within seconds of his turning the door handle. 

“You were with Yamase this afternoon, right?” His tone was nervous. 

“Jealous?” Liu asked disinterestedly.

“No! That’s not it. Why did you come here? What do you want?” 

Liu showed him the notebook without saying a word. 

“Huh?! W-why do you... gi-give it back!” The kid’s shinen flared with rage. 

Liu dangled the notebook above his head mockingly. “It’s important to you, is it?”

The kid honest-to-god _jumped_ like a frog, preliminary crouch and all, and snatched the notebook from Liu’s hand. Liu let him; it was too amusing. 

After he’d finished chuckling Liu scanned the kid with Lancelot. The brief interaction and the resulting adrenaline, minor as it was, had Liu overpowering Takuya’s mind in seconds. He could feel his left eye shining.

The kid had issues with bullying, which Liu had clearly contributed to but couldn’t be bothered to care about. His violent tendencies seemed constrained to his mind and his notebook, but the underlying sentiment was that the meek student wished harm upon what he saw as human trash. That was the only thing that mattered, really.

The last words Liu could read from Takuya’s thoughts was “ **I’ll poison them.** ”

_Ah. The coward’s method. How fitting._

“You didn’t look, did you?” Takuya screeched. “No, don’t say anything. Whatever!” He ran. Liu could have given chase. He chose to call Nola instead. 

“Contact the principal and such. I recorded the contents of his book.”

“Just a second, Liu, let me digest this first... okay. Alright. Let me see... accessing the school records now... his full name is Takuya Inoue. I’ll work on this, then. Good job.”

“He didn’t seem as though he had a Silent infection; rather, I’d say it’s a matter of time.” 

“Alright. Thanks. I’ll get back to you.” She disconnected.

* * *

_First that boy Shinji Naruse... He was in this room, but the residual shinen says he was not involved. He may be trying to decode the mail he found at this moment..._

_Yayoi Kamishiro was entirely preoccupied with art and Arthur Mays. Her shinen says she was not involved with the incident in the apartment near hers last night. She is not the target, but the painting in the art room was significant. I’ll have to follow up on that._

_Mika Nozaki’s mind was focused on the incident last night. She is an amateur reporter, and probably not involved with the incident._

_Rui Yamase. Her heart was focused on her late father and on the school._

_In other words, I have found no one dangerous._

_Ryo Unami. He was focused on studies and judging my intellectual ability. Not the target._

_Akira Mido. His mind was full of past pain. His shinen was mildly offensive, but he wasn’t involved either. Check on him later._

_Honoka Hino was thinking of Arthur Mays as well. Unrelated to the incident._

_Aoi Matsumura knew Shinji Naruse would cause trouble in the PC room. Actually, she defaulted to suspicion. This reflects on Naruse more than anyone else. Also seems unrelated to the incident._

_Bad haircut. Takuya Inoue. The most suspicious so far, but also painfully transparent. I’ll have to terrorize him again for more information, as unfortunate as that sounds._

* * *

Liu received mail on his phone as he walked out of the school grounds. He checked his inbox. Trivial messages. Polite welcomes. He responded in kind out of courtesy.  

He noticed policemen as he passed Kisaragi Station. A female detective tripped while trying to chase a child, and passerbys laughed. Liu looked on at the spectacle disdainfully. 

“You saw that, didn’t you...” The detective picked herself up and approached him, dusting off her blazer. “I haven’t seen you before, are you from another town?”

“I moved to this town just yesterday, and transferred to Kisaragi school today, yes,” Liu replied dryly. 

“Ah, that’s nice! Well, I usually remember the people in this city, and now I’ve got your face too, so tell me if you ever need any help, alright? Nice meeting you!”

 _I doubt you could provide assistance to me in any form,_ Liu thought. “Thank you. Good day.” 

He walked off, but heard, “Ah! I didn’t introduce myself!” He sighed. 

“Mako Ando, twenty-six, Kisaragi PD, looking for a boyfriend!”

Liu burned holes into her eyes with sheer lack of amusement, or would have, if a lack of amusement could accomplish such a feat. 

“I’m joking,” she said tentatively. “But ok, enough jokes. If you ever get lost, call me. Just yell, and I’ll be right there.”

 _That’s ridiculous._ Liu nodded, and left. 

* * *

He found himself wandering near what seemed to be an oversized internet cafe with anime character mascots. He looked inside. His initial analysis had been correct sans the “cafe.” He went in, looking for the owner, just mildly curious. _It’s possible that Shinji Naruse comes to places like these for anonymity of IP_... 

“Welcome. Huh? Never seen you before...” A thin, gangly man around Liu’s age came to the entrance. “Well then, I’d better introduce myself. I’m Yuzi Okura, the owner of this establishment.”

“My name is Liu Yee. I’m a student at Kisaragi.”

“Ah, yeah, that’s right... that’s just fine... Hey, this is something I always ask new customers...”

“I’m listening.”

“What do you like about here? We consulted many design professionals when we built the place, but y’know, they were all artists... we couldn’t settle on a unified opinion.”

“The colors clash, the layout is strange, and your mascots are juvenile.”

Yuzi was dumbstruck. “Y-you don’t hold back, do you.”

Liu shrugged, smirking. “Would you rather I did?”

“Maybe, man... Wait, are you an artist type too? Maybe I shouldn’t ask people anymore...” Yuzi muttered as he walked away. 

Liu dismissed him and sat down at a console that didn’t leave his back entirely exposed to anyone who came in from the the front entrance. 

The BBS for the Kisaragi locality had two threads going. The first, “Transfer Student?!” amused Liu immensely the moment he saw the thread name. However, the second, “Group Suicide?!” was more pressing. He opened it. 

The suicide rate was being treated as a fad, from what the only response to the thread said. Liu wondered if it was better that the rising suicide rate wasn’t being taken seriously, or worse. He didn’t come to a conclusion. 

The thread about his transferring to Kisaragi was more interesting, even. “He seems like he will be a heartbreaker,” the user Luna had wrote. Liu wondered which of his classmates it was, but didn’t really care that much. Or told himself he didn’t anyway. “This guy is too cool... is he going to pick a fight later in the year?” user Ringo wrote. Liu smirked. _I’ll take you all on._

He composed himself. 

He went to Area7 and. outside Tohodo, noticed Ryo stretching. Two schoolgirls passing by squealed upon seeing him. Ryo noticed Liu, seemed to ignore the girls, and called out to him as he passed. 

“Hey, it’s Liu Yee-san, huh? What’re you doing here? Have you come to see my shop?”

The girls continued to squeal. Ryo glared at them and they left sheepishly. 

“God, them again... I see them every day, but the never buy anything. I don’t think have any interest in old books.”

“That’s obvious,” Liu said flatly. “They’re only interested in you.”

“Wh-what?! No, is that... You know, I don’t want to think about it. Ugh, it actually gives me a bad taste in my mouth. Anyway, that’s the old bookshop I inherited from my grandpa. If you have an interest in old books, let me know! I can probably find you something you’d like- Ah, I’m talking too much. When it comes to books, I get really absorbed.”

 _Can’t tell if gay or asexual,_ Liu thought idly. 

“I should get back to work soon...” A girl’s high-pitched voice called for Ryo, as if on cue. 

“Right. You see...?” Ryo shook his head. “See you.”

“See you.” Liu Yee continued walking away, not in the direction of his flat but towards the DVD store and the cross-street nearby; he wanted to get a better feel for the area as early as possible.

As he was taking note of the businesses on the block he noticed a building with a listing for “Company F.” The nameplate on the directory said “Rui Yamase,” so, not believing in coincidence, Liu took the elevator to the suite in question and tested the doorknob. It gave, so he stepped in. 

Rui was just finishing a fortune-telling session with a young woman when he entered. As the woman left, Rui noticed him and asked with surprise, “What are you doing here, Yee? How did you know about my shop?”

“I just happened on it. I live near here, and I wanted to get familiar with the area.”

“Ah... I see. Well, let me show you around! This is my place, Company F... the name’s a bit untraditional, but, ah... I’m known in this area for 100% accuracy. The woman I was just with probably came because of word of mouth...”

Her shinen flared up. Liu raised an eyebrow and scanned it. There were two worms; one was simply doubts about the customer’s two-timing habits, which Liu didn’t care about at all, but the other was about him. 

It was nagging at him as he finished reading her mind; if she had a 100% accuracy, there could be other powers at work. He didn’t believe in fortune-telling, but he did believe in mind-reading. It was difficult not to when he was living proof the latter could exist. On that line of thought, it wasn’t too far-fetched for future-seeing to be related to telepathy. 

“Well, I usually work by appointments... but friends are a different matter. Come here anytime if you want to get a reading.”

He chatted idly with her, trying to ask the same basic questions about the PC room, the art teacher, et cetera, but he received no new information of note. He left when Rui hinted that she had to prepare for her next appointment. 

* * *

Liu went to Seagull next, by the shore, and ran into Mika, who was with a ostentatiously-dressed woman. They didn’t notice him at first, but the older woman pointed him out. 

“He’s my classmate, Liu Yee,” Mika said, looking uncomfortable when she was asked.

“I must introduce myself. I’m Razzly Portman,” the glamorous woman said with a flourish. “I’m a newscaster for the Seagull News. Nice to meet you.”

“Liu Yee. As Nozaki-san said, I’m her classmate. It’s nice to meet you too.”

“Such manners! And such a handsome friend, too. Wow, Nozaki-chan, you’ve got a good one here.”

“N-no,” Mika stammered, “he just transferred here today... To call him a ‘friend’ is a bit much, right?” She looked at Liu almost apologetically.

“I see,” Razzly replied with a teasing tone, “So he isn’t your prince on a white horse?”

“Whaaaat?! Of course not!”

“Hehehe, kidding, kidding. You’re so serious, so it’s fun to tease you.”

_She considers Nozaki serious? That’s disturbing._

“So, Yee-kun, did you know Nozaki-chan is a journalist? For a student, she’s a first-class reporter! She’s our star!”

“What an exaggeration... and to have Razzly-san say that...”

“Hehe, don’t be modest. It’s the truth, you know.”

“That’s very impressive, Nozaki-san,” Liu said politely.

“Um, thank you very much,” Mika said, blushing.

“I must go get ready for the next broadcast,” Razzly said. “Yee-kun, if you have time, why not come visit Seagull? You can watch a live broadcast.” She left, smiling. “See you!”

Mika sighed loudly when Razzly was out of earshot. 

“I was so nervous... I’ve never been so highly praised by Razzly before. Before two years ago, Razzly-san worked as a newscaster for a nationwide channel. She came here and really liked this city, so she transferred here. Usually, someone like that would never talk to me.”

“Congratulations. You must really deserve the praise, then.”

“Wow, thanks... Oh no!! I haven’t sent the recording timer! Sorry, Yee-san, I’ve got to go!”

She ran back into the studio. Liu walked away, relishing in the sea breeze.

* * *

Liu found himself wandering back to Yuhigaoka Park, in the middle of the apartment complexes he had investigated the other night. The police were there, and the apartment building where the crime had taken place was off-limits. 

Nami Kamishiro was among the crowd that had gathered to gawk. She saw Liu and went to the edge of the group to greet him. 

“Hi! Did you come to look too?”

“I didn’t know what to expect, so yes, I suppose I did.”

“It was him after all. The guy on the second floor. Last night, Melody and I went inside the apartment.”

 _When?!_ Liu thought _. Well, I followed her home and assumed she would stay in her apartment the rest of the night. I was wrong, apparently._ “It could have been dangerous. You should have an adult go with you if you really have to go at all, which you don’t.”

“Melody is better protection than adults or the police could ever be!” Nami seemed somewhat annoyed that he would even suggest otherwise. “Anyway, that man was dead, like you said! He deserved to die, though. That’s what happens! D-do you know what was inside? Cardboard boxes filled with dead animals! He deserved to die!”

Nearby gawkers turned to her, surprised at the outburst. 

“Learn to have a hold on your emotions,” Liu muttered. “What’s the point in being so righteous if you’re too loud for anyone to take you seriously?”

She sniffled. “Y-yeah. You’re right. Sorry. It’s got nothing to with you either... I’m really sorry. B-but Melody told me, when we entered the room, that your scent was there.”

“You think I murdered him?”

Nami was shocked. “I-I hadn’t considered it! I don’t think that. But whatever you were doing... I think you’re not a bad person. Whatever it was, it’s okay. I won’t tell."

 _Obviously this girl is a telepath who can speak to animals._ It was the first time Liu had met a telepath with said power. He scanned her. She smiled at him the whole time. She was opening her mind to him. He couldn’t remember the last time anyone had done that. 

The girl just wanted to be friends. Liu had no such inclinations, but he had to admit that the child was growing on him. 

“Nami? Who’s that?”

It was Yayoi Kamishiro. “Oh! It’s Yee-san. He-hello.”

He smiled. “Hello, Kamishiro-san.” Honestly, he was sort of itching to get out of the park. The noises from the crowd and the heat from the Autumn sunset were grating at him. “Sorry to have made you nervous; I was taking a walk again and ran into Nami-chan a second time.”

“It’s quite all right... Nami, you shouldn’t be here, though! That’s a crime scene over there, and there are many strangers. Even with police nearby, you need to be careful!” She sighed loudly, cutting off the beginnings of a protest from her sister. “Well, thank you for watching over Nami,Yee-san.”

“Well, since he helped me, I want to thank him at Triple Step!” Nami said excitedly. “Can I? Please? I’ll go on ahead!”

Yayoi looked at him nervously. 

“Sure. Let’s all go together,” Liu suggested innocuously. He hadn’t eaten since that morning, though on the other hand he could have gone the rest of the day unhindered by not eating. He was FORT's best field agent, after all.

They ate, Nami talking excitedly and Yayoi showing clear concern for her little sister. Liu ate delicately, as delicately as one could eat a burger anyway, and laughed and looked away awkwardly when he found it appropriate as the sisters argued. he insisted on paying for the three of them, though Yayoi protested valiantly. 

The whole time, Nami spoke about the last night’s incident, and Yayoi revealed her involvement with the “investigation” as well. Liu took note of their polar personalities but similar motivations and ideals. Nami slipped Liu a QR card and ran off with Melody before Yayoi could berate her for walking around alone at night. 

“I’m sorry, Yee-san... I’m saying that for her. She’s really too free-spirited, or maybe too selfish... She’s really always... Oh, sorry, I was complaining. It was sudden, but I had a lot of fun today! See you at school tomorrow! Bye.”

Liu bid his farewells and left as well. 

* * *

He returned home. 

“Welcome back,” Nola said from his sattelite-TV communication system the second he turned it on. “How’s your new school?”

“Amusing,” he said, taking off his jacket and loosening his collar.

“Okay... Well, coming from you, I guess that’s good. You need to blend in to investigate properly.”

“Nola, that’s like saying ‘you need to do your job to get your paycheck at the end of the month.’ It’s obvious.”

“Okay snarky, let’s start today’s briefing. Kisaragi School art teacher Arthur Mays, age 28. World-famous surrealist artist.”

“I thought it was modern art?”

“For two years, he’s been an art teacher at Kisaragi.”

“I thought he was a substitute teacher?”

“But for the last two weeks, he hasn’t shown up. Apparently he’s been acting strangely recently. Saijo is checking up on him now.”

“Is he now,” Liu said, stripping out of view of the camera and going through his drawers for fresh boxers. 

“Prepare to move as soon as we hear from him.”

“Looking forward to it.”

“Another person of interest. The boy you met today, Shinji Naruse. From the shinen you read, he’s probably not infected, but he erased all the data, so he must have some issues.”

“Nola, just because the world’s inhabitants don’t strive to make your hacking life easier and stress free doesn’t mean they have problems per say. Some of them do. Otherwise we wouldn’t have a job. But really, take it from me. I know. No one makes my life easier.”

“Liu, just watch what he says and does, ok?”

“That’s what I usually do, isn’t it?”

“Fine, alright. Oh, also, one more thing, that Nami Kamishiro girl. She’s a special telepath, so we’re watching her.”

“Low threat level,” Liu said.

“Yes, we know. We’re just keeping an eye on her. Okay, good luck tomorrow.”

“No such thing.”

He turned off the television. 

Satisfied with the amount of information he’d been able to gather that day, he fell into a light sleep (the only kind of sleep in his profession) comfortably.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter summary:  
> Liu: I had a sad dream :(((((((((((( oh well  
> Liu: 6am wakin up in the mornin gotta be fresh gotta go to school  
> Liu: gotta call fort gotta have a shower  
> Nola: You're kind of an asshole.  
> Liu: yeah  
> Atsuki: You're kind of an asshole.  
> Liu: yeah  
> /school time/  
> Liu: is this teacher hitting on me  
> Yayoi: is this transfer student hitting on me  
> Liu: yes  
> class!  
> Liu: I'm so old  
> after class!  
> Rui: I'll show you things  
> Liu: everyone has crazy hair colors here  
> Akira: I like bushido  
> Liu: I like kung fu  
> Liu: I go around reading people's minds  
> Liu: I bully some kid  
> summary of characters!  
> Liu: haha ppl online be cray cray  
> Ryo: I don't like girls  
> Liu: homo maybe?????????????????????  
> Liu: I meet with ppl from school  
> Nola: no new info for you  
> Liu: ugh  
> Liu: boxers
> 
> Some thoughts:  
> Liu is a little linear in his thinking. He’s also more ruthless than Atsuki, which changes the plot in minor, but noticeable ways in this chapter. Also, he puts up with less overall shit than Atsuki would have the tolerance for. His attention span is a little shorter, his temper is a little shorter though it still takes quite a bit to rile him up... though he seems cold and superficial in this role as an undercover agent, it genuinely takes less for him to show emotion compared to Atsuki. He’s a bit of a flirt in this one, if only because he thinks he can get away with it. He’s comfortable in his skin. He says he doesn’t like attention and usually avoids it for job purposes too, but he actually likes having eyes on him, especially when he’s seeking to impress. He can be a little rough around the edges, but at the same time, he can be very smooth and velvet-tongued. He’s a smart, competent guy who likes efficiency and cooperation. But, he’ll play around with someone just for kicks as he did in canon with Hibiki and just as he did in this chapter with Takuya.


End file.
